The new Jabra Speak 710 is a Bluetooth speakerphone with musical ambitions, as the Danish company claims. Born as a device for professionals and managers who need high quality audio during calls, it can also be used to listen to music.
It is aimed at making calls easier, but also at entertaining users thanks to its ability to “play hi-res audio”. Although this last bit of information needs be taken with a pinch of salt, Jabra has a history of manufacturing high quality audio devices for the consumer and professional worlds. The Jabra Speak 710‘s main purpose is to place calls with a keen attention to sound quality both in playback and recording.
As for recording, it has an omnidirectional microphone that can pick up the voice of up to six people sitting at a table. Should one need more coverage or bigger sound, it is possible to pair two Speak 710 and configure them in stereo.
The embedded battery affords it up to 15 hours of use and the Bluetooth connection allows the users to connect to it in a range up to 10 m with smartphones and up to 30 m using a PC with the included USB adapter.
I think it is interesting to note how Jabra is marketing the Speak 710 not only as a professional tool, but also as a personal device which can satisfy the entertaining needs of its users. This is an interesting shift, given that previous generations where business-centric and were not advertised as multimedia devices. The separation line between personal use and business use is blurred as Jabra is attempting to create a product that one can use for all their needs. It remains to be seen how it fares as a music speaker and I’ll ask the company to try it out.
The device is already available for €275 / $299 on Jabra’s webstore and selected retailers. That’s a premium price for a Bluetooth speaker, but not so for a professional speakerphone – the price of which is often in the excess of $300.
